Nicola Sebastian

Biography

Nicola Sebastian is a Filipino writer and surfer. She graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, where she was the managing editor of the Columbia Journal and taught fiction writing to undergraduates. She lives in La Union, Philippines, where she cofounded Emerging Islands, a coastal-based arts-for-ecology residency and organization. 

See Work

PHOTOGRAPHY / Winter 2021

The Malaya Lolas

Photography by Hannah Reyes Morales ,  Essay by Nicola Sebastian

In the wake of postwar trauma, and absent any formal restitution, a group of Filipina women have forged their own path toward healing.

Lola Lita outside the remains of the Red House, which is what the Malaya Lolas call the house where they were repeatedly assaulted by Japanese soldiers.